Freelancing: Your Guide to Start Making Money Online

Can you really make real money freelancing online?

Recently we have been talking a lot about the economic hardships that come along with the current world conditions.

With a recession on the way, we know that we can expect business closures, an increase in unemployment and an overall time of difficulty. It is during these times that we can see the careers we have spent years building disappear before our eyes.

The pains that come along with these are unimaginable, yet, we know that it’s a ticking time bomb. It’s going to start happening sooner or later and before we know it, the layoffs will begin.

There is Some Hope

Yet, it has also been in times like these, that people who have an eye for opportunity, have honed in on their skills and made a name for themselves. One of the best ways to start doing this is by freelancing.

Freelancing, the Mother of Most Agencies

Many of the top agencies in the word started with someone who began as a freelancer, providing temporary help to businesses who could no longer afford to pay a full time employee. Instead, these freelancers were hired only when needed.

It helped both the freelancer, who could service multiple businesses and ensure a more stable means of income, and the businesses who only hired when they needed work done.

It also gave them access to a wider pool of talented people to choose from. They were no longer limited to just the people around them.

So how do you go about getting started?

I’ll be providing you with seven steps that guide you along your journey from start to scale. These are steps that many of the top freelancers around the world have used to start and scale their freelancing service business.

Step one: Highlight your goals, decide what it is that you wish to achieve when you start freelancing.

Is it going to be a side hustle, or is it going to be something you wish to move into full time?

Identify your financial goals

ie. how much money you wish to make, what you intend to charge, and how many clients you would need to have in order to reach those goals.

Outline your Time Requirements and Limitations:

This is important, to ensure that you remain realistic and understand how much time you would need to alot for each client. And thus how much of your free time you would need to spend working on your new freelancing hustle.

Identify your interest

What are some of the things you are interested in, and passionate about that may be needed in the market at this moment?

What are some things you are good at that you may be able to sell online?

Keep in mind that people usually get excited by all the planning and usually get carried away. Awakening a deep desire to walk into your job, say a big, ‘I Quit’ to your boss and bounce out of there like a boss.

Yet, it’s very important to make sure that you remain calm and start a bit slower. You don’t want to run into trouble and end up having to do a job that is even worse than what you have now.

So take some time, test the waters and ease into it. One new client at a time, keeping your end goal insight.

Step two: Select a specific skill that you can sell online.

For example, let’s say that you have ten years of experience doing payroll for a business. It's a job you enjoy doing, and you are very informed of employment law and can accurately determine tax and social security payments.

You understand that this can be information that may sometimes be a bit difficult for new employers to understand, and could result in trouble later on if not done correctly.

This is a very specific service that you may offer, as opposed to general accounting or financing services which may be very vague. Remember people are often looking for something that is very specific.

It’s important to first explore the options of things that you already do well. This will reduce the time needed between when you initially embark on your journey, to when you actually feel confident enough to take on your first client.

Then, do some research, to find out if people would actually be willing to pay for that skill.

Step 3: Specify what your ideal client looks like.

For example, if you decide to see payroll service, what company size would you like to target? Or is your service more catered toward individuals?

Try to put yourself in their shoes, and think about the pains that they experience and how hiring you would bring them benefits that help to eliminate those pains.

Remember people buy out of emotion more than they do of necessity.

Step 4: Design your offer, and price it!

As a freelancer, it means you get to choose your own clients, your own project and most importantly, set your own prices.

So explore the different options available, such as hourly, per project or retainer based freelancing.

Decide on which one works best for you, and the method that would bring the most value to your clients.

Step 5: Sell

Now that you know what you are going to be selling, who your ideal clients are, and where you stand in pricing, it’s time to stand up and shout out at the top of your lungs that you are ready to start accepting clients.

In many parts of the world, you can do this by creating a website.

In Belize, that usually takes the form of a facebook page.

Yet, with the current decline in facebook uses, and the difficulty that goes into getting your website to rank on google, there is a much better way to start.

Create a profile with Giggedbz, and let us worry about traffic.

Instead, you can focus on securing your first client, directing them to booking through the website. Provide them with the reassurance of the gigged payment policy, and help them to feel at ease as they hire you.

Invite them to rate and review your work, and start building your portfolio without ever having to worry about directing traffic or improving your google ranking.

Zero need to pay for ads, and a marketplace strategy that has helped thousands of freelancers launch their freelancing careers is your safest and easiest way to get started.

It puts you on the market, to make it easier for companies to notice, hire and support your local talent.

Step 6: Connect with clients you love working with.

Work on projects that add meaning to your life, and fill up your bank accounts. Use social media to direct clients to your page, and get them to help you build up your presence.

Ask for referrals, use your available network and connect with people. It’s going to be slow at first, but also a good reason why having built in testimonials is a great way to help you get that moment so you can finally say the magic words, “I Quit!”

Step 7: Scale!

This is the fun part that we all have our eyes on. It’s a great goal to have, and the content of a future post as you get ready to grow your business.

The challenge:

Run through steps 1-5 of this post this week. Set aside time to brainstorm and find out if you have what it takes to take on some freelancing.